Automatic auto-lift



O. A. AND E. F. TAEGE. AUTOMATIC AUTO LIFT.

lu mcmon men OCT-l1. ms.

Patented May 27, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHUT W ATTORNEYS 0. A. AND E. F. TAEGE.

AUTOMATIC AUTO LIFT.

APPLICATION men ocr. n. ms.

5 lj dwwdl'la e B ATTORNEY) 5 INVENTOR OZZOAJZEze Patented May 27, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0. A. AND E. F. TAEGE.

AUTOMATIC AUTO un.

APPLICATHJN FILED OCT. H. 1913. 1 ,305,024, Patented May 27, 1919.

MEETS-S ET 3.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

OTTO A. TAEGE AND EDWARD F. TAEGE, 0F SEWARD, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC AUTO-LIFT.

Application filed October 11, 1918.

To all whom. it may mu-own Be it known that we. (J'r'm A. Timon and EDWARD F. TAEUE, citizens of the United States, residing at Seward. in the county of Seward and State of Nebraska. have in vented a new and Improved Automatic Auto-Lift. of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention particularly has reference to improvements in that class of automobile jacks in which the operation of jacking up is automatically effected as the auto-car is driven over the jack, and in which a lifting frame is moved forwardly and upwardly under the cars momentum.

Primarily. our present invention has for its purpose to provide an auto-lift of the general character stated. of a. comparatively inexpensive and compact construction. in which the several parts are cooperatively so combined and capable of such adjustments whereby the said lift may be readily adjusted for use in connection with cars of different wheel bases.

Another object of our present invention is to provide an improved means for automatically shifting into position, rear supports that constitute the rests for the rear axle of the motor vehicle, as the said vehicle remains lifted from the floor.

With other objects in view that will hereinafter be referred to. our invention consists in the peculiar features of construction and novel combination of parts, to be first ex plained in detail, and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of the base and the lifter frame portions, the two parts being shown as separated to better illustrate the detail construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of our invention and it illustrates the parts at their lowermost position for receiving the oncoming auto vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, the parts being in the auto jacked up position.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the front end of our improved autolift and the said view illustrates the manner in which the adjustable rear axle supports are thrown up under the rear axles while the car is moved forwardly, under its momentum,

.upon the jack frame.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

Serial No. 257,730.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the opposite pil d of our improved auion'iatic auto vehicle Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section of the fore-part of our invention taken substantially on the line (i( on Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail cross section hereinafter further explained.

Fig. 8 is a detail cross section on the line R8 on Fig. 1 and particularly illustrates the structure of one of the adjustable rear axle supports.

Fig. 9 is a detail cross section through one of the rear adjustable inclined members and the base frame taken on the line 9 on Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

1n carrying out our present invention, the lift or jack includes a lower or base frame which, in practice, is scoured upon the garage floor and an upper and longitudinally shiftable lifter frame that is impelled along and upon the base frame, under the momentum of the motor vehicle, as it is driven in position for being jacked up.

The base frame consists of two parallel side bars l1 and they are joined near their centers, by crossed brace members 2424 which are secured at their ends to the side bars 1-1 in any suitable nmnner.

An inclined trackway 2 is fixedly attached to the front end of each of the side bars 1-1 and the said front ends are inclined to form base bearings for the channeled guides 3-3, the front ends of which terminate in horizontal extensions 3030 that rest upon the floor.

Each of the horizontal extensions 30 has a longitudinal slot 31. the purpose of which will presently appear.

The upper or rear ends of the guides 33 terminate at a cross bar 4. which latter acts as a brace and serves to hold the front ends of the bars 1 1 and their wheel guides, in rigid relation and against spreading.

5-5 desi I ate the rear channeled guides and each 0 the said guides are attached to a base block 6 secured on the rear ends of the bars 1.

Each of the blocks 6 is connected, at its rear end, to a cross bar 7 and each block has a rearwardly extended portion for receiving the clamp bolts 88 that take through longitudinal slots 80-80 in their respective side bars 1 and by which the rear roller ,guides or runways and the upper or lifter frame, presently described, can be adjustably secured along the base frame for long or short wheel base cars.

As a further means for adjustably attaching the rear guides or runways on the base bars 1 and to sustain the entire lifter frame structure in its proper operative position upon the base frame. members 9-4) are attached. to the front ends of the blocks 66 and the said irons with their portions ML-90 are adapted for being held by clamp bolts 10-10, that are adjustably mounted in a slot 81 in the upper face of the bars 11.

The upper or lifter frame, before referred to, comprises opposite parallel side bars 12*12 and they are braced near their rear end, by cross members 1313 and a transverse bar 14, which is fixedly attached. at its opposite ends, to the upper faces of the side bars 1212.

At the opposite ends, the bar 14: has blocks 111' 1 that constitute rests for the front axle of the auto vehicle, when the said axle has gone forward and engages the drag stop 15.

Interchangeable blocks 1-i"14 of different thicknesses may be used for different height wheels.

For securing the upper or lifter frame to its forwardly shifted position to which it is moved under the impact force of the front axle of the motor car against the drag stop 15, we employ automatically operating locking detent devices, the construction of which is best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, by reference to which it will be observed a vertically slotted bracket 22 is bolted onto the top of the cross bar 7 and through the slot 23 there of, a long ratchet bar 24: passes, which bar has the ratchet teeth 25 on the lower edge so that the ratchet edge normally drops down and interlocks with a catch or detent 26 that holds the bar 24 from pulling backward until its ratchet edge is released from the detent 26, in the manner to be presently explained.

The forward end of the bar 24 is pivotally joined with an eye 27 secured to the cross member 13 and for normally forcing the ratchet bar 24 into engagement with the detent edge 26, a spring 28 is attached at one end to the frame bar 7 and at the other end to a yoke 29 that pulls down against the upper edge of the bar 24. as shown.

32 designates a sash cord or cable that passes over an overhead guide pulley, has one end secured to the rear end of the bar 24 and the other end provided with a handie 34 which, in practice, is so suspended that the driver, when seated in the car. can conveniently grasp the said handle to release the ratchet bar 24 and thereby permit the car to back down from the auto-lift.

35 designatesa steel cross bar and it is longitudinally adjustable along the side beams 12-42 of the lifter frame by clips :56-36 and bolts 37*37.

At each end of the bar 35 and adjacent the side beams 12, is secured a bracket 38 that includes a toruuirdly and downwardly inclined bifurcated guide member 39, the end 30" of which connects with a cross rod or. shaft 40.

The brackets 38 each also include pendent apertured ears 38= -3i between which the front guide rollers 414 1 are journaled and to the said ears are secured the inner ends of yoke-shaped horizontally and forwardly extended guides 42-42 that also constitute bearings for the cross shaft or rod 40, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4:, which also illustrate the outer ends of the guides as bent inwardly toward each other to form restricted portions 43.

The brackets 3838 also have downwardly extending keepers 41-44 that project under the adjacent side edges of the front wheel guide to steady the front end of the lifter frame and hold it against lateral displacement.

The central part of the cross member 35 is curved downwardly to permit the gear case on the rear axle to pass over.

45%5 designate a pair of arms and they constitute the support for the rear axle, when the rear wheels are lifted from the ground. as indicated in Fig. 3.

The arms 45-t5 are pivotally mounted on the cross shaft 40 and they are guided in the yoke shaped guides 42 and each of the said arms 45 includes a vertically adjustable upper end as whose adjustments are pro vided for by the bolts 47--47 and the elongated slots 48-48.

By referring to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be seen the lower end of each. of the arms 4545 terminates in a beveled cam 49 that projects into the slots 31 in the horizontal extensions of their respective roller guides, it being understood that, when backing from the lifter frame, the rear axle of the vehicle swings the arms 45-l5 backward to the normal position shown in Fig. 1.

In practice, the arms 45-45 are so constructed and pitched that they will clear all truss rods under the rear axle of the motor car and will not interfere with lifting the car from the floor.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, the complete construction and the advantages of our invention will be readily apparent to those familiar with the use of auto jacks.

The operation of our automatic autolift is explained as follows:

The parts being at the normal position shown in Fig. 2, as the car is driven over the jack and as the front and rear rollers engage the front and rear inclined roller guides, the car will be abruptly lifted and,

under its momentum, the front axle eugages the stop 15 and thereby drags the a per or lifter frame forwardly thefurwart travel along the inclined roller gdiddsitcrvlhg to raise the car wheels from the floor.

As the lifter fraln ei's forced forwardly, as stated, the cam e'dges 4-9 of the pivoted arms 4:5 engaging the rear ends of their re spertive slots-31 in the horizontal extension of the front guides, causes the said arms 45 to swing up to the vertically and rearwardly inclined position and under the rear axle, in which position they act as the supports upon which the rear axle rests, when the car is lifted, the front axle now resting on the blocks 14.

To limit the forward swing of the upper end of the arms 4545 stops 50-50 are adjustably secured on the top of the cross member 35 and each of the said stops 50 has an elongated slot 51 for receiving the clamp bolt 52 that engage the cross member 35 and secure the said stops, as shown.

As the lifter frame is dragged forwardly, as stated, the rack bar 24 automatically in terlocks with the edge 26 of the slotted bracket or detent and thereby secures the lifter frame, with the auto vehicle supported thereon locked against moving backward, it being apparent that to provide for backing off the auto vehicle, it is only necessary that the driver pulls th overhead cable, which frees the looking ,or ratchet bar 24 and thereby allows the lifter or top frame with the auto vehicle to back down the inclined roller guides and off the jack, the said back movement of the auto vehicle, through its axle engaging the arms 45-45, restoring the said members 45-45 to the forwardly inclined or normal position.

While the detail arrangement of parts de scribed and shown present a practical embodiment of our invention, we do not com fine ourselves to the precise construction shown, since the same may be readily modified or varied without departing from our invention as comes within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In an automatic lift for auto vehicles, a base frame, a lifter frame that rests upon the base frame and is adapted for move ment lengthwise thereof, inclined ways on the base frame. roller bearings on the lifter frame adapted for traveling along the said inclined ways, automatically operating means for holding the lifter frame to its forwardly and vertically impelled position, means for releasing the said locking means operable from the motor vehicle, whereby to permit the motor vehicle to back off the lift or jack, guides on the lifter frames that slidably engage the inclined ways and adapted for holding the lifter frames down int'oenga'geiilent with the saidinclined ways and from lateratdisplaceinent relatively to the base frame.

2. In an automatic lift for auto vehicles, a stationary or base frame and a lifter frame, the said lifter and base frames having interengaging portions adapted for causing the lifter franie to rise as it is being impelled by the momentum of the vehicle, the lat ter passes over the lift, an abutment onthe lifter frame with which the front axle of the incoming vehicle engages, a cross bar mounted on the front end of the lifter frame, the said bar having longitudinal adjustment along the lifter frame, means permitting such adjustment, an oppositely disposed pair of arms, the said arms being pivotally sup ported by the adjustable cross bar to swing in the vertical plane, said arms and the adjacent front end of the base frame having (o-engaging portions adapted, when the lifter frame is dragged in the front direction, to swing the arms in position so that they form supports for the rear axle of the vehicle.

3. In an auto-lift appliance of the character described, the combination with a base frame having inclined guideways at the front and rear end. a lifter frame longitudinally movable on the said base frame, the said lifter frame including a pair of bearing rollers at the rear end for engaging the inclined guideways at the corresponding end of the base frame, a cross bar mounted upon and having adjustment in the direction of the length of the lifter frame, means permitting such adjustment, brackets pendently supported from the opposite ends of the said cross bar, a bearing roller mounted in each of the said brackets and adapted for engaging the inclined guides at the corresponding end of the base frame, and means sustained by and movable with the cross bar that constitutes supports for the rear axle of the vehicle to be jacked up.

4. In an auto-lift appliance of the character described, the combination with a base frame having inclined guideways at the front and rear end, a lifter frame longitudt nally movable on the said base frame, the said lifter frame including a pair of bearing rollers at the rear end for engaging the inclined guideways at the corresponding end of the base frame, a cross bar mounted upon and having adjustment in the direction of the length of the lifter frame, means permit ting such adjustment, brackets pendently supported from the opposite ends of the said cross bar, a bearing roller mounted in each of the said brackets and adapted for engaging the inclined guides at the corresponding end of the base frame, and means sustained by and movable with the cross bar that constitutes sup orts for the rear axle of the vehicle to be aclced up, the said means comprising a guide member projected forwardly from each of the said pendent brackets, a cross shaft that engages the said guides, an arm ivotally mounted on each end of the said 5 aft to swing in the vertical plane, each of the said arms including a, lower portion adapted for abutting with the base frame to thereby swing the said pivoted arms in the upward direction, as the lifter frame is dragged forwardly and there- 1( by ositions the upper ends of the said arms so t at they constitute rests for the rear axle of the lifted vehicle.

OTTO A. TAEGE. EDWARD F. TAEGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

